With the arrival of winter comes the arrival of snow, which causes dread for some and excitement for others. For lovers of snow sports, the arrival of winter means the arrival of the ski and snowboarding season, with lifts and ski resorts opening for skiing, snowboarding and other snow activities. However, skiing can be expensive, and there is another simple and cheap snow activity you can enjoy without having to have any prior expertise: sledding! When it starts to snow near Madrid, there are a number of places where you can go for a small winter getaway and guaranteed fun for all ages. Today in this article from ShMadrid, we’ll be telling you about the best places to go sledding near the Region de Madrid.
Related article: The Best Skiing Near Madrid
Sledding: fun for the whole family
Photo via Pixabay
Snow is not common in Madrid, and when snow does come there’s generally not very much, but close to the capital there are mountainous areas where you can enjoy a good snow day. Technically, you can grab a sled and go zooming down a hill almost anywhere, but if you want to do it safely and in the best way there are spots specifically dedicated to sledding. The first spots Madrileños think of when they want to enjoy the snow is Navacerrada and the Puerto de los Cotos. These two areas, located in the Sierra del Guadarrama, are the two closest spots to the city as well as the busiest and most crowded due to their popularity. You can go during the week if you want to avoid the crowds, or over the weekend if you don’t mind sharing the hills with hundreds of other people. When you enter Navacerrada and start heading up the road, you’ll see various spots where families are enjoying the snow and, of course, doing their fair share of sledding. If you don’t currently own a sled, you can either borrow one from a friend or buy one at stores like Venta Arias.
Related article: Adventures in la Sierra
Photo via Pixabay
The Puerto de los Cotos is one of the most highly-recommended zones for sledding in Madrid. There are two different main areas; one for small children of up to seven years of age and another for all ages. There are also stores at Puerto where you can buy or rent sleds for reasonable prices. Just like at Navacerrada, it’s better to get there early if you don’t want to have problems finding parking. If you want to stay as far away from crowds as possible and you don’t mind driving a little farther to make that happen, you can head to Navafría, located on the Segovia side of the Sierra del Guadarrama. Navafría has a fantastic nordic ski area with lots of ski trails, and while you can’t play in the snow in this ski area, you can sled to your heart’s content in the nearby “Las Lagunillas” recreation zone. There aren’t restaurants or bathrooms directly at the rec area, but you can always head to the Navafría ski stop or one of the nearby small towns for sustenance if you need it.
Are you excited to spend a day sledding in Madrid?
